The term Dog Days refers to the hottest, sultriest days of the summer. It came about back in ancient times when the star Sirius rose with the sun in the summer. It doesn't anymore probably because of something to do with letting sleeping dogs lie. It was said that the dog days were a time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, Quinto raged in anger, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies". Not good. And who the heck is Quinto anyway? Whatever. The Romans thought this could all be helped by appeasing Sirius which they tried to do by sacrificing a dog at the start of the Dog Days. Those Romans were crazy.
There are much better ways to deal with hot spells, air conditioning being one. However, even in AC one's mood can turn sour with the unrelenting pulsing of the the sun's brutal rays.Friends, spouses and children can become irritable and even worse they can become very irritating. So what is one to do?
I don't know and I can't really be expected to figure it out for everyone else but I stumbled upon a solution that works for me, a little and only sometimes but it is better than sacrificing a poor, hapless pup. I learned the hard way that my mood can increase measurably by just doing something.
Anything really, other than cooking which by definition requires using a heat source. Of course, swimming or going to your brother's lake house are the best things to do but not always possible. Most of the time my only choices are to read, watch tv, create pixie journals, write blogs, or mindlessly scan Facebook in search of something I have never actually found.
Interestingly enough, my best poems have been borne of moods of desperation and deep ennui. Which is the point entirely- that when I create something from nothing I always feel better. So when the Dog Days nip at your heals, remember that however fun it may seem to bitterly complain about the sweat stinging your eyes it might be even more fun to create something, anything--even dinner if it can be made without employing fire in some way!
PS. In previewing this blog I did notice that I misspelled heels as heals but as a therapist I find this Freudian slip very amusing so I am keeping it. Ha!
2 comments:
Well spoken, Annette. Some people complain about so much. Yes, it's hot and yes, it can be miserable. But, it's summer people. Get over it and go be creative. :)
I much prefer summer over winter-and even when it is very hot and suffocating there is generally something you can do to cool off.As for doing something creative--when immersed in creating ,my mind is fully engaged in something that is of me yet more than me...very refreshing.
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